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A little-known program is helping laid-off Oregonians get a fresh start by supporting entreprenurship efforts while still giving them financial aid.

The program is available in only eight states, mostly along the coasts. In Oregon, the recession brought one of the nation's highest unemployment rates - about 175,000 are getting jobless benefits. Interest in the program, one of the largest, has jumped by about 75 percent, bringing the yearly total of recipients to nearly 600.

"They can't buy a job, so they get to make one up," says Pat Sanderlin, who runs the program. "Right now, you've got people coming into this in survival mode."